 Nicholas has been twice nominated for the CMA Song of the Year, in 1989 for "A Better Man" and in 1990 for "Killin' Time," both co-written with (and recorded by) Clint Black.He has also been nominated for several Grammy Awards, and has won over fifty songwriting awards, including three "Triple Play Awards," given to a songwriter who has three works reach Number One in twelve months.One of his collaborations with Black, "The Hard Way", was included in the musical "Urban Cowboy", which was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for Best Original Score.